Adjustable speed responsive switch



June 19, 1956 J. K. GAYLORD ET AL 2,751,452

ADJUSTABLE SPEED RESPONSIVE SWITCH Filed Dec. l5, 1955 @fmes @725 `alord f77/HJ R. 7@277/ 252 en forst' .imperante srnnn nnsronsrvn swrrcnlames K. Gaylord and rving R. Green, Chicago, lli., assignors to GayiordProducts, incorporated, Chicago, lil., a corporation of DelawareAppiication December 15, 1953, Serial No. 398,313

2 Claims. (Cl. 2Min-80) This invention relates to improvements in aspeed responsive electric switch and refers particularly to a speedresponsive switch which will break an electrical circuit at apredetermined speed of a rotating body and which will complete the sameor a different electrical circuit at a predetermined speed of the bodyhigher than said firstmentioned speed, the device being characterized inthat the circuit-breaking and ycircuit-making speeds may beindependently adjustably predetermined.

One of the important features of the present invention resides in theprovision of a speed responsive electric switch which operates inresponse to the speed of a rotating body in the manner contemplated inthe copending application for Letters Patent Serial No. 308,085, tiledSeptember 5, 1952, in the name of Lewis E. Thatcher, now Patent No.2,678,977, issued May 18, 1954, the present invention being charcterizedin that the rotating speed at which an electric circuit is broken andthe rotating speed at which the same or a different electric circuit ismade is adjustable.

The objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the accompanying drawing and following detailed description.

In the drawing,

Fig. l is a sectional elevational view of the improved switch.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional veiw taken on line 2 2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 3 3 of Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the circuit-bridgingvanes.

Although the present invention may be employed in many environments andto control substantially any type of electric circuit, for purposes ofillustration, the invention will be shown and described as beingresponsive to the rotating speed of the usual automobile speedometercable. However, it is to be understood that the invention is not to belimited to this environment.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 1 indicates generally the speedresponsive switch comprising the present invention. The device 1comprises a cup-shaped housing 2 which is substantially closed at itsbottom and is open at its top. The housing 1 is preferably constructedof a synthetic plastic, hard rubber or the like, but may, if desired, beconstructed of metal. A mounting plate 3 may be formed integral with thecup-shaped housing 2 and may be provided with holes 4 whereby thehousing 2 may be mounted upon a suitable support, preferably asubstantially vertical wall. The lower portion of the housing 2 maycarry an integral split sleeve 5 which may terminate laterally in a pairof spaced lugs 6 through which a bolt 7 is adapted to pass.

For purposes of illustration the present invention is shown inconjunction with a speedometer cable 8. The switch comprising thepresent invention will function to control one or two electric circuitsin response to the rotary speed of the speedometer cable 8. As will beStates Patent hereinafter more fully described, the speedometer cable 8passes through the central portion of the housing 2. To securely fastenthe housing relative to the speedometer cable the sheath 9 of thespeedometer cable is cut away for a predetermined portion of the lengthof the cable and one end of the sheath is inserted in the split sleeve 5whereby, by the proper manipulation of the bolt 7 the lugs 6 mayfunction to securely clamp the end of the sheath 9.

The housing 2 is provided with a cover 10 which may be secured to theupper portion of the housing 2 by means of a fastening ring 11. Thespeedometer cable 8 passes through an opening in the cover 10 and thecover at its upper portion carries a split sleeve 12 similar to thesleeve 5 hereinbefore described, the sleeve 12 having spaced lugs 13which may be secured together by means of bolt 14. ln this fashion, thecover 10 may be securely fastened to the spaced end of the speedometersheath 9. The cover 10 is preferably constructed of the same materialcomprising the housing 2.

An annular trough 15 is adapted to be positioned in the housing 2, saidtrough being substantially U-shaped in transverse section and beingprovided with a central opening 16 through which the speedometer cable Spasses. A metal quill or collar 17 embraces the speedometer cable 8within the housing 2 and is rigidly secured to the speedometer cable.The quill 17 carries oppositely extending arms 18 which are positionedtransversely across the mouth of the annular trough 15. The quill 17 isrotatably positioned in the opening 16 in the trough and hence when thespeedometer cable 8 rotates the quill 17 also rotates and arms 18 swingin a rotating fashion across the mouth of the trough 15.

Each of the arms 18 have downwardly extending portions 19 and 20 whichare spaced from each other. A hinge pin 21 is carried between each pairof spaced lugs 19 and 20 and a vane 22 is adapted to be carried by eachof the hinge pins 21. The vane 22, shown in detail in Fig. 4, comprisesa plate having a cut away portion 23. Adjacent the cut away portion 23the plate is bent upon itself to form a sleeve 24. The vane 22 ismounted upon the arms 18 by the passage of the pins 21 through thesleeves 24. Thus, the vanes 22 are swingable upon the opposite arms 18.

The sheath 9 of the speedometer cable is grounded as at 25 in Fig. l andhence the speedometer cable 8 being constructed of metal, is alsogrounded. The quill 17' and arms 18 are also constructed of anelectrically conducted material and vanes 22 are also electrically conductve. As will be hereinafter more fully described, the elementshereinabove enumerated comprise a portion of the electric circuit orcircuits which are to be controlled by the switch.

A disc 26 constructed of an insulating material is positioned over themouth of the trough 15 and is preferably cemented at its periphery tothe outer, upper, defining wall of the trough. The plate 26 is providedwith a central aperture through which the quill 17 extends, the quillbeing rotatable with respect to said plate. Circumferentially spacedscrews Z7 are threadedly positioned in plate 26 and carry at their lowerends an adjustable contact ring 28, screws being secured to the ring 28by swivel sockets 29 whereby the screws are rotatable relative to thering 28 but function to raise and lower the ring 28 when they aremanipulated. The ring 28 may be connected by means of conductor 30 to asuitable electric circuit.

At the lower portion of the annular trough 15 a metallic plate 31 ispositioned, said plate being secured by means of swivel sockets 32 toscrews 33 which are threadedly positioned through the bottom of thehousing 2. The arrangement is such that when screws 33 are rotated theplate 31 may be raised or lowered within the trough 15. The plate 31 iselectrically connected to a suitable circuit by means of conductor 34.

As is described in the application for patent tiled by Lewis E.Thatcher, hereinbefore identified, a bath or pool of non-conductiveliquid 35 is adapted to be positioned in the annular trough 15 aboveplate 31. The arrangement is such that when the speedometer cable 8 isrotated whereby the vanes 22 are rotated within the trough 15, the lowerportion of said vanes are raised from plate 31 by means of thefrictional contact of the vanes with the liquid 35.

In the use of the present device, the plate 31 is connected by means ofconductor 34 to a suitable source of voltage and to an electricallyactuated device (not shown) which is to be controlled by the switch. Theplate 31 is raised within the trough 15 until the plate makes contactwith the lower edges of the vanes 22. Thus a completed electricalcircuit is formed to the ground 25. When the speedometer cable 8 rotatesthe vanes 22 will be deflected by their frictional contact with theliquid 35 and hence at a predetermined speed said vanes will breakcontact with plate 31. Thus, the electrical circuit of which the switchcomprises a part, is broken. As a feature of the present invention, theplate 31 may be raised or lowered within the trough 15. The lowermostactive position of plate 31 is such that, if the device is maintainedwith the speedometer cable passing substantially verticallytherethrough, vanes 22 will be substantially vertical with the edgesjust touching the plate 3l. It can readily be seen that very slightrotation of the speedometer cable will thus cause the vanes to breakcontact with the plate 31. If desired, however, the plate 31 may beraised within the trough 15 whereby the vanes 22 will be inclined withrespect to the plate 3l. Of course, the vanes 22 will be in contact withthe plate 31 and the associated circuit will be completed. Slightrotation, however, of the speedometer cable 8 will not cause the vanes22 to break Contact with the plate. Contact between the vanes 22 andplate 31 will only be broken at a higher speed of the speedometer cable8. Accordingly, by the proper manipulation of screws 33 and the desiredelevation or depression of plate 31, the circuit can be caused tobebroken at higher or lower speeds of the speedometer cable 8.

As another feature of the present invention, when the vanes 22 are insubstantially vertical position within the trough l5, the circuitconnected to conductor 30 will be open. As the speed of the speedometercable 8 increases, however, a speed will eventually be reached at whichthe vanes 22 will be canted by their contact with the liquid 35 to adegree whereby the cut away shoulders 23 of the vanes will make contactwith the ring 28. When the vanes thus contact the ring 28 the electricalcircuit including conductor 30 and ground 28 will be completed. Thus,the ring 28 functions as a high speed operated switch. It can readily beseen that by the proper manipulation of screws 27 and by desirablyraising or lowering the ring 28, the rotating speed of the speedometercable 8 at which the circuit comprising conductor 30 is completed, maybe adjusted relative to various speeds of the speedometer cable.

It can readily be seen that the vanes 22 and plate 31 may function tocontrol the circuit including conductor 34, that is, to break saidcircuit at a predetermined minimum speed. lt can also be seen that thering 28 and vanes 22 may function to complete the circuit in which theconductor 30 is a part. The circuit which includes the conductor 34 maybe a separate circuit from that which includes the conductor 3l) or bothof said conductors may be included in the same circuit. If separatecircuits are employed, the vanes 22 and plate 3l may function to openone circuit at a predetermined speed and the ring 28 and vanes 22 mayfunction to close a separate circuit at a predetermined speed. lf theconl? ductors 30 and 34 are part of the same circuit, the vanes 22 andplate 31 may function to open said circuit at a predetermined speed andthe circuit will remain open as the speedometer cable increases itsspeed until the ring 28 and vanes 22 close said circuit.

It can readily be appreciated that the switch may be used to controlsubstantially any type of electrically actuated apparatus and the switch1 may be employed in many other environments than the one hereinbeforedescribed. Of course, in addition to the adjustability contributed bythe movable plate 31 and the movable ring 28, the response of the switchmay be changed by changing the weight of the vanes 22 or by changing theviscosity of the liquid 35. Of course, as heavier vanes 22 are employed,the speed at which said vanes break contact with the plate 3l will beincreased and the speed at which the vanes 22 make contact with ring7 2Swill also be increased. The speed referred to above has reference to thespeed of rotation of the speedometer cable 8. If the viscosity of theliquid 35 is increased, the speed of the speedometer cable 8 at whichthe vanes break contact with plate 31 will be decreased and the speed ofthe cable 8 at which the vanes make contact with ring 28 will bedecreased. Thus, the switch comprising the present invention may betailored to meet the requirements of a large range of speeds.

We claim as our invention:

l. An electric switch responsive to the speed of rotation of a rotatingbody comprising a closed housing, a rotatable element in said housing,means for connecting said rotating element and said rotating body torotate said element in timed relationship with the rotation of saidbody, said rotatable element comprising a vane constructed of anelectrical conductive material and substantially horizontally disposedpivot means for pivotally snspending said vane, a pool of non-conductiveliquid carried in said housing in which the free end of said vane dips,an annular relatively flat conductive plate positioned in said housingin said pool of liquid with its plane disposed substantiallyhorizontally and with which said vane makes contact when said rotatableelement is stationary, said vane breaking contact with said plate by thetrictional detlective force of said liquid upon said vane when saidrotating element rotates at a predetermined speed, means for adjustablyraising and lowering said plate transverse to its plane to change theangle of contact of said vane and plate when said element is stationary,an electrically conductive contact member positioned in said housing anddisposed in the path of travel of said vane when said vane is deflecteda predetermined degree at a predetermined speed of said element, meansfor adjustably raising and lowering said contact member in said housingto cause contact of said contact member and said vane at differentspeeds of said element, means for connecting said plate and vane to anelectrical circuit, and means for connecting said contact member andsaid vane to an electrical circuit.

2. An electric switch responsive to the speed of rotation of a rotatingbody comprising a closed housing, a rotatable element in said housing,means for connecting said rotating element and said rotating body torotate said element in timed relationship with the rotation of saidbody, said rotatable element comprising a vane constructed of anelectrical conductive material and substantially horizontally disposedpivot means for pivotally suspending said vane, a pool of non-conductiveliquid carried in said housing in which the free end of said vane dips,an annular relatively flat conductive plate positioned in said housingin said pool of liquid with its plane disposed substantiallyhorizontally and with which the lower edge of said vane makes contactwhen said rotatable element is stationary, said vane breaking contactwith said plate by the frictional deflective force of said liquid uponsaid vane when said rotating element rotates at a predetermined speed,means for adjustably raising and lower- 6 ing said plate to change theangle of contact of the lower said plate and vane to an electricalcircuit, and means for edges of said vane and the plate when saidelement is connecting said ring and said vane to an electrical circuit.stationary, an electrically conductive ring positioned in said housingand disposed in the path of travel of an References Cited in the 51e 0fthis Patent upper edge portion of said vane when said vane is detlecteda predetermined degree at a predetermined speed UNITED STATES PATENTS ofsaid element, means for adjustably raising and lowering grllzgt ld/1;;131 said ring m said housmg to cause contact of sald ring at 2,428,589Aandewiel Oct. 7I 1947 vdifferent speeds of said element, means forconnecting

